BRIDGEPORT, W.Va. — Heavy rains and flash flooding swept through Harrison and portions of southern Marion County Monday, delaying the start of the school year for some and causing serious damage.
Photo: Barry Bledsoe
Harrison County Commissioner Patsy Trecost said damage across the area is widespread and water was still receding Tuesday. The extent of the damage is unknown right now, but crews are working to make assessments and check on people in rural areas of the county. Officials said a little more than two inches of rain fell in about 25 minutes.
“Water damage is significant, and right now we have so much of it, whether it’s just a basement or a slip on a road,” Trecost said Tuesday on MetroNews “Talkline.” “We have people in hollers right now that can’t get out to work, and the scary thing about that is first responders can’t get in if there is an emergency.”
Harrison County Schools were scheduled to have their first day of school Tuesday but didn’t because of the high water.
Bridgeport Fire Department Cpt. Ben Tacy said several wrecks were investigated early in the storm and then there were reports of some stranded motorists as the rain continued. As water began to build, there were several other safety and utility investigations that resulted in area volunteer departments being called for mutual aid, Tacy said.
“A vehicle that was stranded out in several feet of water out in the Laurel Lake area,” Tacy said. “One of our rescue swimmers was able to get out and get a mother and three of her children out of the car.”
Workers from the state DOH District 4 have worked with municipalities in the initial hours as assessments continue. In the coming hours as floodwaters recede, state and local crews will be able to make more accurate assessments and, in some cases, make repairs.
“We have had an incredible open line of communication with DOH District 4, and on the state, county, and municipality levels we’re all working to bring convenience to people in their time of need,” Trecost said.
A flash flood warning was issued by the city of Bridgeport at 3:15 p.m., and the National Weather Service issued another at 7:15 p.m., calling the event a dangerous and life-threatening situation. The waters of Simpson Creek became several feet of water on Wayne Jamison Field at Bridgeport High School and some water got into the locker room area.
“The water came up higher than I’ve ever seen it in Bridgeport,” Tacy said. “It almost got in the bays of our Main Street Station—the Simpson Creek was up probably three feet higher than I’ve ever seen it.”
The number of severe and damaging storms across the Midwest and our region has elected leaders looking for ways to mitigate the storms in the future. Trecost noted the recent erratic patterns, ranging from a severe drought two years ago to torrential rains this year, do raise many questions.
“Our climate is different right now and I don’t know if it is permanent,” Trecost said. “Just two years ago people were pulling their boats out of Tygart Lake because there was no water in it and we lost a whole season of boating.”